Studio Michael Satter

SCHREI MICH NICHT AN, KRIEGER!

From April 28 to July 30, 2017, the Schirn Kunsthalle Frank­furt is presenting a spatial sculp­ture by the artist Lena Henke. In the work specially created for the Schirn Rotunda enti­tled Schrei mich nicht an, Krieger! (Don’t Shout at Me, Warrior!), the sculptor reacts to the specific condi­tions of this freely acces­sible public space. Henke sees the Rotunda as a space in which inte­rior and exte­rior merge in a very distinct way—as the entrance to the Schirn, as an exhi­bi­tion space, and as an element of urban archi­tec­ture between the Cathe­dral and the Römer. In her instal­la­tion Henke concen­trates on this ambiva­lent capacity of the space, thereby creating an aware­ness of the unique char­acter of the loca­tion. In the two opposing entrances to the Rotunda, the artist posi­tions two aluminium sculp­tures that are open at the top and filled with sand. It is not clear at first how this sand came to be in and on top of the objects. Henke guides the viewer’s gaze through a system of colors, which accen­tu­ates the archi­tec­ture upwards to the open windows of the circular galleries surrounding the Rotunda. There sand is also placed and trickles outwards and into the sculp­tures through coarse-meshed metal rolling grills. The visi­tors can stroll round the galleries and walk through the sand, hence influ­encing the circu­la­tion as well. At the same time, from up there the form of the objects in the Rotunda becomes visible: they are two over­sized eyes. The asso­ci­a­tion of sand in the eye—an unpleasant feeling involving discom­fort and pain—suggests itself. In her works, the artist combines topics such as archi­tec­ture, public space, and urban plan­ning with subjec­tive expe­ri­ences. Her starting mate­rial is the site as she encoun­ters it; she heightens it and stages it in a perceiv­able way. Thus Henke trans­forms the Schirn Rotunda into a walk­able and constantly changing spatial sculp­ture in which inside and outside merge. In her formal language and her use of mate­rials she makes delib­erate refer­ences, in partic­ular to modern and recent art history, bringing together Surre­alism and Minimal Art. By consciously inves­ti­gating tradi­tional artistic strate­gies and aesthetic concepts, Henke creates new visual expe­ri­ences and contexts of meaning. The change of perspec­tive is an impor­tant element in her works and essen­tial for the insight into things and into life itself. Her works can be read as a self-confi­dent state­ment of contem­po­rary art, which is given addi­tional expres­sion in the powerful title of her work for the Schirn.

General informations:
• Catalouge concept: Michael Satter
• Graphic design: Michael Satter 
• Editors: Katharina Dohm
• Publisher: Schirn, Verlag für Moderne Kunst
• Authors: Katharina Dohm, Philipp Demandt
• Photography: Wolfgang Günzel, Topical Cream 
• Year: 2017

Technical informations:
• Format: 230 x 300 mm
• Pages: 56
• Typeface: Helvetica
• Print: Offset
• Binding: saddle stitched
• Printer: Pöge Druck, Leipzig